Re: Diseases & Outbreaks News and Discussions
Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 4:17 pm
Norovirus warning as bug spreads in England after lockdown eased
https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... down-easedFri 16 Jul 2021
Public health experts in England are warning of an increase in the number of cases of the vomiting bug norovirus after it reached levels last seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Official data shows the highly infectious virus is far more widespread than usual for the summer months. It has been spreading particularly rapidly over the past few weeks among preschool children in nurseries and childcare facilities, who are bringing the virus home, causing it to spread across all age groups.
Official data from Public Health England (PHE) showed that in the last five weeks, 154 outbreaks had been reported, compared with an average of 53 between the comparable five-week period around June in the previous five years. Rates have been especially low during the pandemic due to social distancing rules and people paying more attention to hygiene, but have been rising since restrictions began to ease in early April.
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“Norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, has been at lower levels than normal throughout the pandemic with less opportunity to spread between people in the community but as restrictions have eased we have seen an increase in cases across all age groups,” said Prof Saheer Gharbia, the deputy director of PHE’s national infection service.
Rates of enteric virus outbreaks, mostly norovirus, doubled from 105 to 236 between 31 May and 4 July, with two-thirds (65%) in nurseries or schools and a third (30%) in care homes.